Ultrafiltration

Definition

Honey is warmed, sometimes diluted, and forced through very fine filters. The result is exceptionally clear and slow to crystallise. It also has no pollen left in it, which matters beyond aesthetics: pollen analysis is the main tool for establishing a honey's botanical and geographic origin, so ultrafiltered honey cannot be traced this way.

Where the word gets used loosely

Under EU rules, honey from which pollen has been removed by filtering must be labelled as filtered honey, and it cannot carry a floral or regional origin claim. Enforcement varies. The practice is closely associated with laundering honey of undeclared origin.

Guide records that discuss this

• How to read a honey labelSome words on a honey jar are legally defined. Most of the prominent ones are not, and the difference is not signposted anywhere on the packaging.
• European honey standardsThe EU honey directive turns the Codex definition into binding law across the single market, adds labelling rules, and contains the two provisions that make European honey regulation distinctive: what filtered honey is, and that pollen is part of honey.